Courses and Events, Eco Construction

Cob Building Courses at Sunseed

August 24, 2016

Dates

13th – 26th November 2016

Arrival Sunday 13th 5pm

Departure Saturday 26th 10am

15th – 28th January 2017

Arrival Sunday 15th 5pm

Departure Saturday 28th 10am

About the courses

The “10 days intensive cob building course” is a hands-on practical learning experience with small theoretical sessions. During the course we are going to build a small shed out of cob – from the foundations to the roof.

You will learn how to make a perfect cob mix, how to build with cob, how to build window and door frames, how to build a roof and how to give the walls a nice finishing.

The courses takes place in the Sunseed Education Centre on Sustainable Living within the frame of the Eco-Construction Department. Sunseed has been an education centre since 1986 and is based in Los Molinos del Rio Aguas, a small off-grid village in Andalucia in southern Spain, one hour from Almeria.

During the course you will learn about:

the history of cob building;
why use cob? Its benefits;
testing soil;
site and design;
the ideal cob mix;
building with cob;
building foundations;
building the roof;
inserting doors and windows;
natural plastering;
making your own tools.

Programme

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Tour of Sunseed Presentation about Cob	Trench and foundation Theory and practice	Soil test and suitability Tools Mixing Cob Building walls	Building walls Door frame	Building walls Inserting glass bottles
Day 6	Day 7	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10
Building Walls Inserting Windows Inserting glass bottles	Making the roof	Making the roof Inserting niches	Rendering Inserting niches	Rendering Closing up and feedback

About the instructor

Michael Hart is the Eco Construction coordinator in Sunseed and will be the main instructor for the course.

Location

Sunseed is an education centre for sustainable living and will provide the structure and spaces for the retreats. With a view to educate on low impact lifestyles, Sunseed focuses on Eco-Construction, Organic Gardening, Drylands management, Appropriate Technology and Sustainable Living.

Sunseed is located in a small village, Los Molinos del Rio Aguas, in Southern Andalucia, Spain. Abandoned during the rural exodus of the 1950s and 60s, Los Molinos has experienced a vibrant resurgence since the 1980s and is the hub of numerous ecological and progressive organisations including Sunseed Desert Technology, Cultura de la Tierra and Pita Escuela.

The stunning arid landscape that sourounds Los Molinos and its location in a lush oasis in the middle of the desert provide the opportunity for quiet contemplation and observation of nature.

You could make the most of your trip by combining it with some time off to explore the area and visit the nature reserve Cabo de Gata, the beaches along the Costa del Sol or drive up to the mountain range of Las Alpujarras or the Sierra Nevada.

The closest airports are Almeria (1 hour) and Murcia (1,5 hours) and Granada (2 hours).